Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Voices for the Watershed

 
The Great Lakes conference may be over, but our lakes, our fish and our fresh water supply are still under threat. So the work must continue, and part of that work involves raising awareness. We must share our love for the Great Lakes with others, and here is a very special book I can recommend.
 
It was first published in 2000, but its messages are even more relevant and urgent today. Asian Carp is now a very real threat. Climate change, warming lake water temperatures, the proliferation of wind farms near key migratory routes - there are many threats now to the ecological health and well-being of the largest inland source of fresh water on the planet. In fact, what makes this book so unique among books about the Great Lakes is that it does not exclude the surrounding drainage basin of the Great Lakes. And if you take a look at a map of the scope of the St. Lawrence Watershed and what land that includes - the entire state of Michigan, all of southwestern Ontario and southern Quebec, for example - then you realize just how vast this area really is and how many people live on the watershed, people who may not even consider themselves Great Lakers!
 
We have a treasure in our big backyard, so let's protect it. This book's thoughtful essays and evocative photos will stir your soul and awaken your resolve to protect and preserve  this most precious region.
 
Together, we can raise our voices for the watershed...
 
To order a copy of this book: http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=1467